Gable top cartons are used to package consumer products. Gable top cartons generally have a rectangular base with two opposing gable panels coupled together at the top of the package. Some gable top cartons are openable at the top, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,333,123. For example, some packages can be opened by separating a portion of one of the gable panels, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,543. Once the gable panels are separated, the contents of the package can be removed or dispensed through the opening. Some gable top cartons are configured to allow the entire top portion of the carton to be partially removed, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publ. 2010/0078467.
Cartons that have both an opening at the top and a removable top portion can allow a user to select a preferred method for opening the carton. Depending on the intended use of the carton and/or the contents stored therein, a user may prefer one method of opening over another. Incorporating both of these features into a single carton, however, can present difficulties. For example, incorporating a score line that facilitates removal of the entire top portion can undesirably weaken the carton. These weakened areas can present issues when the carton bears a compressive load, such as when stacked during shipment or while on display in a retail environment. While score lines can be configured to improve the structural integrity by limiting the amount of weakness on the score line, limiting the weakness of the score line typically makes it more difficult to tear the carton along the score line.